Trunk or box fastener



(No Model-.j l 1:'. W.=MIX.

TRUNKR BOXFASTENER.

Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

my @raw N. PETERS. Phehrlilhngmphur, Wnxhngian. D. C.

IlNiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK'V. MIX, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT. I,

TRUNK R Box FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,333, dated January4, 1887.

Application filed September 28, 1886. Serial No. 214,748. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, FRANK W. MIX, of New Britain, in the county ofHartford and Stat-c of Connecticut, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Trunk or Box Fasteners, and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. Y

My invention relates to an improvement in i trunk-fasteners, andespecially 'to the type of trunkLfastener patented to H. A. Seymour,August 4, 1885, No. 323,830.

The object of the invention is to provide a trunkfastener in which aloop may be actuated by a lever in locking Yand unlocking the fastener,the parts to be so combined and arranged that the loop cannot beaccidentally displaced or unlocked.

A further object is to produce atrunk-fastener which shall be simple anddurable in its construction and adapted to be manufactured at a smallinitial cost.

Vith these endsv in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described,and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan View of one form of myimproved trunk or box fastener in its locked position. Fig. 2 is a planview showing the fastener in an unlocked position. Fig. 3 is a rear faceview of the device. Fig. l tis a longitudinal section of the attachedparts, showing the saine in their locked position. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section showing the parts in their unlocked position. Fig.6 is an enlarged view ofthe calnlever, showing the manner of itsattachment to the lower bar of the swinging loop. Fig. 7 shows theyielding slidebar removed from its position on the rear face of the topplate.

A represents a plate constructed to be secured to the front verticalface of a trunk-lid, and B a plate adapted to be secured to the body ofthe trunk in a line with the plate A on the lid. Plate B is formedwitharecessed projection, a, the upper end of which is pro vided withparallel rearwardly projecting llanges b, that together form asocket,b', which is designed to receive the dowel c,that is on the lower faceof plate A. The dowel c is rounded on its free end to permit its readyengagement with the receivingsocket b.

l C is a cam-lever pivoted in the lower portion of the recessedprojection a. The walls of the projection c have rounded projectionsmade on their front face, and seats 7c on their inner surfaces, formingbearings for the trunnions o, which latter are preferably cast Aintegralwith the lever C. The cam-lever Cis retained in a vertically-swingingconnection within these bearings by the holder d. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)

This holder is made to till the recessed projection c edgewise, one endbeing riveted tothe rear side of the fastening-plate B, while the otherend is provided with a lip, Z, which rests on the outer surface of thevertical plate within the groove m. Holder el extends forward a properdistance to afford an abutment or bearing for the rounded boss e on thecam-lever C, and thus permit its swinging movement. and retain it inplace. This manner of connection is cheap and strong in construction andreliable in operation.

D is a loop or rectangular link -having parallel top and bottom barsg1g. The lower cross-bar, g', is provided with a round bearing, g2,which is supported in a seat, g3, formed in the lever C, which latterpart is bent so that the lower bar, g', ofthe loop D will be retainedincontact with the lower wall of the box a when vthe loop D is initslocked position. The

free end of the cam-lever C is adapted to lie in a groove, m, in theplate B, made for its reception, so as to be flush with the exposed faceof j lower cross-bar, g', of loop D. This lip t is of proper length tobe bent around the journalv g2, and thus pivotally connect the loop tothe lever.

The upper plate, A, is constructed with a box or recessed projectiomwt,that extends outwardlyr from its front face, the front wall of said boxbeing made to extend upwardly to roo form a lip, J. A yieldingslide-bar, G, is connected with the rear side of plate A,`the upper endof such bar being provided'with a slot, c', within which engages aprojecting stud on plate A, and thus retains the upper end of the bar Gagainst lateral displacement.

rlhe lower end of the yielding bar G is provided with ashank,S,whichhasa spiral spring, s, placed on it. This spring has a bearing upon the`shoulder, formed by reducing the bar G, to form the shank, and it, aswell as the lower end of the shank, is supported by a lip, s, castintegral with the plate A and bent round to forni a box-bearing ofproper size to permit the sliding therein of the shank s and consequentvertical movement of the bar G. The yielding slide-bar G is provided onits front face with a shouldered projection, I,`

which extends within the recess or space in rear of lip J and is locatedbelow the upper edge of the lip. rlhe length of the loop D isproportioned to permit its upper cross-bar to be raised above the upperedge of the lip J by elevating the cam-lever C so that the uppercross-bar of the swinging loop D will engage the projection I ontheyielding bar G, when the cam lever C is depressed to lock thefastener.

It is evident that a depression of the lever C will cause the loop D tobear upon and correspondingly depress projection I and its supportingslide-bar G. rlhe force of the spring 8 on the yielding bar G tends toforce the loop D in an upward direction, and thereby serves to preventthe cam-lever fro'm swinging outwardly and carry the pivotal bearing ofthe loop past the journaled center of the cani-lever C, and in this wayobviates danger of accidental displacement of the lever or loop.

It'is evident that slight changes might be made in the construction andrelative arrangement of the different parts of the fastener withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of my invention; and I do not limitmyself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown anddescribed; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trunk or box fastener, the combination, with atop and bottomplate provided with doWel-and-socket connection, the top plate having aprojecting lip formed thereon, of a swinging loop, a lever for actuatingthe loop, and a yielding bearing or projection located in rear of thelip on the top plate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a trunk or box fastener, the combination, with a top and bottomplate, of a swinging loop, a lever for actuating the loop, and ayielding bar located in a recess in the rear surface of the top plate,said bar being provided with a projection with which engages thecross-bar on the free end of the swinging loop, substantially as setforth.

3. In a trunk or box fastener, the upper plate havinga projection castintegral therewith and bent to form a bearing, incombination with areciprocating bar provided with a shank that is retained within saidbearing, substantially as set forth.

4. In a box or trunk-fastener, the combination, with a swinging loop, ofa lever having a projection cast integral therewith and bent over toform a bearing within which the crossbar of the loop is pivotallysecured, substantially as set forth.

5. In a trunk or box fastener, the combination, with a leverjournaled inbearings in the rear side of the plate, ot a holder secured at its endsto the plate and adapted to prevent the displacement of the lever,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W. MIX.

lVitnesses:

H. C. Foss, E. L. PRIOR.

